Various connectors have been devised that are equipped with a sensing function that can sense whether the connector, constituted of a pair of parts that are mated and coupled with each other, has been completely mated and coupled, that is, whether it has not been coupled in a half-fitted state (see for example JP-4-132178-A and JP-2001-57271-A).
The connector disclosed in JP-4-132178-A, for example, has male and female connector housings that are mated with each other, being so structured that a follower pin is provided on the inner periphery of a manipulation ring fitted, so as to be freely rotatable, on the outer periphery of the male housing, while on the outer periphery of the other, female housing there is provided a cam groove. The follower pin is engaged into the cam groove so as to mate the male and female housings, and by rotating the manipulation ring in one direction, a lever effect between the cam groove and follower pin is utilized so that the male and female housings can be coupled with a small force.
FIG. 9 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the connector set forth in JP-2001-57271-A, in the locked state.
The connector shown in FIG. 9 is composed of a male and a female connector part that are mated and coupled with each other. It has a structure such that a manipulation ring 31 is fitted, so as to be freely rotatable, to the outer periphery of the female connector part's female housing 30, with a cam mechanism interposed between such and the counterpart male housing; and a spring receiving slot 32 formed on the outer periphery of the female housing 30 holds a coil spring 45, and there is provided on the outer side thereof a manipulation ring 33 provided with a pressing portion 34. When the manipulation ring 31 is rotated in the mating direction, part-way through such rotation the manipulation ring 33 will rotate in an integrated manner, and the coil spring 45 will be compressed by the pressing portion 34. If the rotation is stopped before reaching the locking position where the locking arm 46 latches onto the locking protuberance 47, the manipulation ring 31 will rotate in the reverse direction due to the resilient force of the coil spring 45, and the two housings will be moved apart. Thus, the male and female housings are mated via rotational manipulation of the manipulation ring 31, and if the rotation is stopped before the manipulation ring 31 is locked, then due to the spring force stored in the coil spring 45, the manipulation ring 31 will be returned, while the two housings will be drawn apart. By means of this it can be sensed reliably whether the two housings have been regularly mated.
In the connector disclosed in JP-4-132178-A, the mating condition is sensed after the manipulation ring has been rotated to a particular position and locked during mating-coupling. In other words, a half-fitted state cannot be sensed unless the manipulation ring is turned to a certain position and locked, and this means that there is difficulty with operability. Also, with the connector set forth in JP-2001-57271-A, the mechanism for sensing the mating condition requires a coil spring or similar, which means that the connector's structure is complex. This sensing mechanism too has the operability problem that it cannot sense a half-fitted state until the manipulation ring has been turned to a certain position.